The Best Nude Nail Polish Shades For Every Skin Tone

This story came about for completely selfish reasons. Finding the perfect nude nail polish is something that frustrates me every time I go to the salon. Standing in front of that big wall of bottles, I go for the classic shades like Essie Ballet Slippers, but those cotton candy colors don't quite mesh with my milk chocolate skin. It's not the right nude for me.

That’s why I reached out to celebrity and editorial manicurist Jackie Saulsbery, who has worked with stars like Adele, to put an end to my search once and for all.

“Nude can be several different shades depending on the skin tone,” Saulsbery says. But there are other things to consider, too. “When you’re picking a color, see if you want something to draw the eyes to the hands or if you want something to blend in.” Nude doesn’t have to be boring. You can pick a shade with a gray undertone or something with a touch of shimmer to liven it up.

With her help, I found my new favorite nude shade (Zoya Pasha, see below), and got her tips to help nail down a nude polish for every complexion—plus application advice for a flawless DIY nude manicure.

Saulsbery has tips to help find a nude polish for every complexion.

For Fair Skin:

Saulsbery warns to stay away from pink if you have a fair complexion because it can make skin look ashy or pasty. Instead, look for variations of taupe that are more opaque. Make sure to ask the manicurist if the nail colors on the polish wall are “what you see is what you get.” Sometimes what the color looks like in the bottle doesn’t translate the same on the hand. So be prepared to test a few options.

For Dark Skin:

According to Saulsbery, darker taupes are the best pick for this skin tone, and a touch of pastiness is OK. You can try a polish with a hint of rose if you’re looking for something work appropriate or go for a gray undertone if you’re looking to make it a bit more exciting.

Application Tips for Perfect Nude Nails:

Because nude nail polish is a lot less forgiving than a bold red or dark berry, you have to prepare the nail expertly to get great results. “With nude you always want the nail bed to be clean,” says Saulsbery. “You want every piece of skin you could possibly get to come off before you apply the polish because with nude, anything will show up—even a piece of lint.”

First use a cuticle softener like Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm ($18). Then gently push back the skin around the base of the nail. Instead of cutting your cuticles, Saulsbery recommends using a buffing block to remove the excess skin. Then shape the tip of the nail by brushing a file from corner to center. Make sure to get underneath the free nail as well to get rid of any excess dust under the free edge, which can show up through sheer nude formulas.

Before applying a basecoat you want to dehydrate the nail with polish remover and rubbing alcohol to get rid of any oil. This helps the manicure last longer. Saulsbery uses the Orly Top2Bottom ($10) as a base and topcoat. “With the nude, you want to make sure that the base is completely dry before you apply the color because nude can drag and it’ll be streaky,” she says. “Then, you find yourself applying coat after coat trying to darken it when all you have to do is just wait a second for the base to dry.”

Saulsbery also uses a special technique to apply polish: First move the brush across the base of the nail from side to side to even out the color near the cuticle. Then pull the color down from base to tip in three strokes. That way you get full coverage without any spots or streaks.